New-generation, cellular communication systems, have introduced the concept of quality of service (QoS) levels at which to effectuate communication services. The QoS level defines, in some manner, the service quality level at which a communication service is to be effectuated. Generally, there is a correlation between the amount of resources allocated to effectuate a communication service and the service quality level at which the communication service is effectuated. That is to say, generally, a higher service quality level is achievable when greater amounts of communication resources are allocated to the communication service.
A packet communication service, such as a 1xEV-DV or 1xEV-DO communication service, of a CDMA2000 -compliant, cellular communication system, for instance, defines QoS levels that are to be maintained pursuant to effectuation of a communication service. A QoS level is mandated, for instance, pursuant to a service subscription or pursuant to a packet communication service-type. For a communication service to be effectuated at a particular service quality level, an appropriate level of communication resources must be allocated by way of which to effectuate the communication service. The communication resources are allocated by a system scheduler that schedules the allocation of communication resources. Information related to the service quality level at which the communication service is to be effectuated must be provided to the scheduler for the scheduler properly to allocate the communication resources, if available. When, for instance, the communication service is initiated by a mobile station, the mobile station must provide the service quality information to the scheduler so that the appropriate level of communication resources are allocated.
The quality of service (QoS) is an end-to-end characteristic of, e.g., a data call, where each element in the wireless IP (Internet Protocol) network is a contributor. The radio link is considered an important element in the end-to-end architecture due to the unpredictable nature of the wireless link. There are many QoS attributes defined for CDMA2000 radio link QoS, e.g., the data rate, the delay, the jitter, the error rate, the priority, etc.
The CDMA2000 medium access control (MAC) layer, where the radio QoS control function is implemented, provides a key interface between the upper layers and physical layer of a CDMA2000 communication station. Currently, with respect to QoS control, the MAC layer handles indirect QoS information that is reported over layer 3 signaling, e.g., as a QoS BLOB (binary large object block) to request radio link QoS. The QoS control mechanism and radio resource allocation scheme at the network part of the CDMA2000 communication system is implementation dependent and, presently, is not standardized.
Various QoS control functions and their associated signaling mechanisms have been extensively studied with the goal of satisfying QoS requirements for advanced applications in efficient manners that effectively utilize available radio resources. With respect to the CDMA2000 communication system, it is commonly known that MAC/physical signaling permits mobile stations to feed back QoS information and to allow network scheduling of communication services with the mobiles and satisfy the associated QoS requirements. MAC-layer signaling provides better and faster resource scheduling in contrast with layer 3 signaling in order to meet radio link QoS requirements. For instance, QoS control or resource allocation of CDMA2000 1xEV-DV reverse link communications involves many considerations. Discussion related to these consideration factors is made, e.g., in an existing 1xEV-DV Rev. D standard developments. QoS control or resource allocation of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO reverse link communications analogously also involves many considerations.
Mobile stations operable in a CDMA2000 communication system, as well as others, are capable of multiple data service instances that are active at the same time. Different ones of the multiple data services have different QoS requirements. Each data instance carries its own data flow to or from an upper layer application. Due to the data service instances, each being associated with a QoS requirement, a manner is required by which to schedule the separate service instances. Scheduling is required for both the forward link and the reverse link. On the forward link, a network entity can schedule each service based upon its QoS information and buffer status, thereby to provide inter-user or intra-user QoS support. But, for purposes of reverse-link scheduling, data arrival and buffer status inside of a mobile station is not known to the network. Such information has to be reported to the network in order that reverse link resource assignment can be made.
With respect to 1xEV-DV communication services, a reverse-link MAC control mechanism proposal has been set forth. In the proposal, an R-RCH (reverse request channel) is defined. The R-RCH is used by the mobile station upon which to make a reverse link rate request. And, in current CDMA2000 1xEV-DV reverse link proposals, a mobile station provides buffer status and available transmit power indications that are provided to the network of QoS attribute adjustments that are needed pursuant to a communication service instance. The network part of the communication system manipulates QoS parameters to obtain an improved QoS for the communication instance. The network, however, typically manages many concurrent flows upon the radio air interface. And, although the indication set forth in the existing proposal provides the network with enough information to permit blind manipulation of the QoS attributes to obtain an improved QoS for a particular communication service instance, the network is not provided with information related to the service instance type. For instance, the service instance type includes conversational streaming, interactive communications, background communications, etc. And, the network is unable efficiently to calibrate the QoS attributes on a per flow basis or on a per user basis. Furthermore, due to an implementation in which the scheduling functionality is embodied at a base station at the network part, the QoS request indication will affect the effectiveness of the scheduling functionality. Scheduling functionality is centralized or distributed. When centralized, a centralized scheduler is located at a base station controller (BSC) of the network part. And, when distributed, the scheduler functionality is located at the base station. The different entities have different scopes of QoS control. And, accordingly, QoS indications delivered to scheduling entities embodied at the base station controller and base station should contain different information.
Existing proposals fail to address the differing informational needs of the scheduling functionality, depending upon whether the scheduling functionality is centralized or distributed.
Existing proposals also fail to provide adequate mechanisms by which to fulfill QoS differentiation for differing communication service instances on an intra-user, i.e., resource allocation amongst different users, and intra-user, i.e., resource allocation amongst services for a single user.
An improved manner by which to select QoS-related information associated with a reverse-link communication service is, therefore, required.
It is in light of this background information related to data communication services in a radio communication system that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.